The Salute to Rochester Growing Up

To clarify that ain't diet coke in Patrick's hand.

And we never drank what he has in his hand on Saturday mornings at Dewey Lanes.

I still have some form...

And despite the way it looks I had one of my classic 10 frame wonders - two strikes and an 8. Ask Patrick he was my witness. (I was bowler #3)

We wanted to get up at 9:30am and go to their morning bowling but ummmmm sleep has won out so far.

On Butler with a Butler

Another - whoops I forgot.

While performing in Indy we were on the Butler campus which meant nothing nearby to eat except the campus center. That's right folks... campus dining in all it's glory. We actually quite enjoyed it. For those of you who have done the dining hall experience note Patrick has the required to glasses of soda to avoid having to go back for a refill. CLASSIC!

Although to say it wasn't odd looking at the faces of the young people around us and thinking 'I NEVER LOOKED THAT YOUNG'. I guess it's simply perception - none of my friends look any older than they ever have because I see them often enough to have grown-up with them.

It's nice being so close too so many for so long.

(And yes - I know - I need a hair cut. It's not an easy task when you are working 12 hour days in different cities all the time)

Boston Roars

So we made it to Boston and although the housing is the worst yet - the city itself is great - especcially the audience that saw the show tonight. It wasn't the biggest house we have had but it certainly was the loudest. They really got it.

Looking forward to seeing some friends while I am here and Patrick and I have vowed to have one 'salute to Rochester' adventure before we leave here. I'm not telling you what - but certain people in our lives will appreciate it a great deal.

The internet here isn't great either so I'm way behind on my tv downloads but will catch up. If people haven't been watching Bones this season they should - it's a perfect time to jump into the season and it's available on Itunes.

Oh and for my pals in my favorite city that always, sadly, makes me sick I am very close to organzing a small cabaret benefit with the cast while in town. I am so excited to be still doing benefits for MSF while on the road.

Off to bed...

Almost out of here

Photo number one is one I forgot to share with everyone of the Milwaukee Museum. It was a very cool place, with some great art that I was glad to have seen. Not everyday you see a real Monet and a real Warhol in the same place. I could have done without the creepy doll with the moving face however.

Photo number two: What I call - "that's what this place feels like". I am enjoying my camera phone - if you can't tell. The picture quality isn't always great but that not great quality brings a kind of style. So anyway - that's the highway near our current hotel as we walked back after dinner at Denny's last night at 10pm. This kind of wasteland of emptiness sparked by some glaring light is sort of how it's feels here.

Here's another story to emphasize it. One of the actors tried to order a dinner at Denny's last night that was more vegatable then meat. When he asked the waitress what she really thought about the meal she replied:

"I don't really know. I tend to eat brown food."

Yeah - a statement about America and Indy.

The final photo is my salute to brown food and my meal of choice here in Indy. The vending machine at the theatre is helping me out considering the time it takes to grab food on campus and my lack of time to do such things.

I am my father's daughter. Nothing like cheese crackers and peanut butter.

2 days/4 shows til we out of here!

Missing Milwaukee

It has just been one of those days and I wish we were still in Milwaukee.

Not only has the entire day gotten completely away from me and I got nothing done in the midst of much juggling of added things this evening but I just heard the following from Patrick.

A woman came to his booth before show and said she was going to purchase a lot of stuff.

She returned at intermission and said "I like your shirt and hat and liked the show up until that 'black girl kissed that white boy'"

Apparently the woman was on her way out and not coming back for act two - considering - it was probably best

I suppose that was our welcome to Middle America - red state much - unbelievable.

What year is this?

And people wonder why I do so much work with the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Off to bed - tomorrow is another day

Introducing Flat Jason

So while Jason was here in Milwaukee he made a cartoon of himself and explained the 'flat friend' idea. Seems the new thing for school children to do is make drawings of themselves and then mail them into the universe. They expect people to take photos of the flat friend in different locations and then mail the photos back to the child.

In my day we did balloon jamborees. I suppose sending helium ballons into the air on mass isn't very healthy for the world so I think they stopped them. I seem to remember having my balloon go the farthest one year when I was at Autumn Lane.

Anyway - lost the thread... so Flat Jason. He's traveling with Patrick and I.

Photo number one is Flat Jason in his 'house'. I keep him in my aqua folder so he won't get crushed. He seems to like it there.

Photo number two and three are Flat Jason joining Patrick and myself tonight for dinner at a wings place by the theatre. He seemed to enjoy the menu and the beer.

Heck - he enjoyed his beer so much he needed a nap.

Tomorrow is the GOLDEN DAY!!! That technically that means a day off but in this transition I'm not so sure that will be the case.

Either way - still having a blast.

They ain't blue suede...

...but they ain't bad. The bins we are traveling with included at least one full of shoes that aren't being used in the show. To help the 6 trucks we are traveling with pack better tonight was free shoe day.

The other pair that fit was an orange pair of character shoes with heels and if you are reading this you no damn well I am not someone who would wear heels - let alone ORANGE ONES.

The photo is one I forgot to post the other day is of Patrick at the Safe House. I will only tell you it's a neat little theme restuarant here in Milwaukee and, if you can, you should check it out. The bambo curtain behind Patrick's head is because we were sitting in the Japan themed table.

The opening last night went very well. The audience really seemed to get it (even the stuff that might be touchy stuff for the midwest). Hopefully this will convert to great word of mouth and strong sales.

Jason called to tell me the outcome of the Supernova finale. My gal lost so I will not be picking up the Supernova album (or ironically thanks to the piece I just read in the Washington Post the Band Formally known as Supernova - the courts ruled they couldn't keep the name) Although Dilana lost she was courted by the band to produce a solo album - that I will be buying because the gal can sang and has amazing stage presence.

Other than that not much to tell - I am having a blast and prepping for Indianapolis.

Two shows down....

Another Opening....

Yep tonight's the night. Wish us luck...

Oh and look - even the Doctor dropped by to see us .... I didn't get the chance to see if it was bigger on the inside then on the outside though. Okay I realize probably NONE of you got that reference but I don't care. When do you see old police box like phone boxes any more?

The other shot is from my cell phone and is the side of the theatre building with this odd rusty ball piece of art in the foreground. When giving directions it's been fun telling people to walk toward the rusty ball.

I leave you evidence of the mentioned broken glass door and a certain set of advertisements from a certain beer company for a certain friend in upstate NYC.

So far in Milwaukee

By Day four I SPY:
1) A person smashing through a door sending the glass window in the door to the ground. Yep - drunkest city in America alright
2) A gaggle of high school marching bands playing the same two notes over and over and over again.
3) Jason arriving with set pieces that he drove straight here from CT in only 16 hours
4) A truck rental place right out of a movie
5) A person on stilts entertaining people in a flowing gold dress

and (NO JOKE) a MIME!!!!!

That's right folks - and this is just in the short time I have out of the office.

Talk about variety - huh?

All is going very well. Using the quiet time to get ahead of the game with my workload. The elements of the production are coming together nicely and everyone here is so far way GREAT!!

Day One

Milwaukee

Well after a meal with some of the cast and then a group gathering in the lobby to watch Project Runway it's off to bed.

Day one and things went smooth if you don't count the bus to Newark that once it hit Jersey couldn't go faster then 20 miles and hour because the tranmission was shot and the 8 people whose luggage didn't come off the plane because it never got on the plane to begin with.

People were in fine enough spirits about this ground services slight but it certainly made it clear things will never get boring.

More to come as time permits but now bed is calling.

College Degree but get me a MAP!

That's right folks I might have a BFA but common sense and basic knowledge apparently escapes me. In preparation for my travels I had to find a map. This was actually an easy task. I just went to google.com on their picture/photo option and typed in MAP OF USA and in a blink of an eye - MAP OF USA!!

It was quickly downloaded to my hard drive and is now in rotation as my desktop (along with a gaggle of comic book art). It is also attached to this post for everyone's enjoyment.

Yes, I can quote movies I saw 10 years ago or balance the ground transportation for 50 people but ask me where Omaha Nebraska is and I show a weakness. I enjoyed social studies growing up but sucked at geography.

On a positive note I do know what states these cities are in.

The trick is that states are very big places. Very big. So now I know Sacramento is north of LA but south of San Fran. I also know, thanks to Jason, that it's the state capital of California.

I also know Denver is east of Tucson but not by much and that thanks to the Great Lakes that my time spent in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota will mean things like Lake Effect Snow - see that I remember from growing up on Lake Ontario.

Anyway - bottom line is that the plane leave Wednesday.

My room is no longer my room. My bags are FINGERS CROSSED not OVER WEIGHT. The job is FANTASTIC but hard work.

For those friends in some of these lovely places around the US check out the website to see when I might be in your town

Next lesson - TIME ZONES...